AN: Im sorry I haven't updated in such a very long time. Life got in the way, I just couldn't write for a very long time and it was very frustrating. I basicaly spent the entire summer trying to finish this chapter. Again, I'm sorry, I swear I'm trying really hard. I hope you guys still want to read this... thanks for your patience.
It had been two weeks since Fitz got shot and all the fuss about it was finally beginning to die down. He had been in the office for longer than he was supposed to, to catch up on work because he wanted to take a long weekend at Camp David with the kids and Olivia. At first she wasn't sure it was a good idea for her to go, but then she realized they all needed it and she wanted to start bonding with Karen and Teddy. The official story was that the President was taking a much needed break with his children and that he had invited OPA because work never ceased and the change of atmosphere was good for everyone. Much to his discomfort, Olivia also advised for Cyrus to go too, so no one would question the whole work vacation concept she was going for.
Olivia's team would of course be in a different cabin as well as Cyrus, he knew no work would actually be done, but decided to not fight it for the sake of his health. That Wednesday Fitz had another doctors appointment and he wanted to ask how long it would be until he could have sex, she didn't want him to ask because he was supposed to be single, but he figured the doc should be able to stay quiet.
"So… doc, can you keep a secret?" Fitz asked after the doctor was done examining him.
"Sure" Dr. Akers replied.
"No but seriously I need you to sign this" Fitz pulled a non disclosure agreement out of his suit jacket. The doctor eyed him suspiciously but signed the paper anyway, then he just stood there waiting for Fitz to talk.
"I just wanted to know how long do I have to wait to you know… have intercourse" He finally asked.
"That's it" Dr. Akers chuckled "I was getting worried, there is nothing wrong with asking that, you are single" he paused realizing what was going on, the President wasn't just like any bachelor who could do whatever "Which is exactly why I signed that, you wouldn't be asking unless there was someone"
"Yes, and we're not ready for the whole world to know, it was kind of unexpected" he added the last part for good measure "I'm not saying it's going to happen I just want to know when it will be ok to consider" he explained.
"I understand, so considering the type of wound I would advise at least another five weeks" Fitz made a face, so he went on to explain "I just removed the stitches, so you are still at risk of the wound reopening for a little while, there is still lots of swelling and im sure you noticed the bruising. You got three cracked ribs so I'm sure it also hurts to just breath, even lifting your arms should be an issue" Fitz knew the doctor was right, he was still in pain, but when he was with Olivia it was easy to forget about it. "I know you might feel just fine walking around your office and working, but just think about all that happens during sex, it could be very painful, and uncomfortable for you" Fitz nodded reluctantly at Dr. Akers words
"At least five weeks then" Fitz finally said without conviction.
"Yes, look on the outside it will start looking better sooner, but it wasn't just a flesh wound there was bone involved, a good way to know is if you can breath and move your arms with no pain. Don't rush Mr. President, just imagine how bad it would be if you ignore it and then right in the middle of things you wince and scream in pain, it would be a huge turn off for both parts involved" the doctor felt the need to speak freely to make Fitz understand the severity of the situation and Fitz appreciated he wasn't holding anything back
"Thanks doc, I guess I will see you next week" Fitz stood up and shook hands with the doctor, he knew he needed time to heal properly, but he felt like he had already waited long enough. Every time they spent the night together it was very difficult to keep control so she had decided it was best to stop staying at the Blair House, but they would have to figure something out because of Camp David; and also Fitz wasn't willing to have her spend so many nights away from him.
Even though the situation was a lot calmer, the gladiators still had some work to do at the White House, they had just redirected most of their efforts to preparing the country for their relationship. The first thing they agreed to was an interview with Fitz, Karen and Jerry, they wanted everyone to see they were doing well as a family and that the kids were totally on board with Fitz moving on from his marriage. They planned to do it after returning from Camp David so they could begin testing the waters for him being in a relationship at some point. Fitz had already told her he didn't really care and that he had no more campaigns to run, but she insisted that taking time and doing things right would make things easier for everyone in the long run.
Friday came along in no time, they were all packed and ready to go to Camp David, Fitz wanted to take Marine one, but Olivia said it wouldn't be right for people to see her boarding with them and Fitz refused to ride without her so they settled for his regular motorcade. She was at the residence with Jerry waiting for Fitz to be ready, he had just gotten off of work so he went to get a quick shower and change before they left.
"Hey Jerry, could you give me some pointers on how to get closer to your sister, because I want to try, but I think she is still not ok with me" Jerry turned his attention from his phone to her and stayed quiet for a moment.
"Hmm she likes a lot of things… shoes, clothes, books, music, I don't think she has any problem with you, it just takes her a while to warm up to people don't worry, I can talk to her if you want" he replied.
"That's ok, I don't want to push it, I'll just take small steps" She smiled at him reassuringly and went back to reading the book she had brought along for the trip.
Jerry went back to his phone and they waited for a little while longer, when Fitz finally came out he called Karen so she would finally come out of her room and join them. The nanny got there holding Teddy just before Karen and then they all left together. The ride there wasn't very long, they arrived in time for dinner. Olivia's team and Cyrus took a ride on the motorcade too, just on a different SUV, since it was the first night they would be having dinner together at the main cabin, the rest of the time each of them would be on their own to give Fitz and his family some privacy.
After dinner, everyone left for their respective cabins, and the older kids went to their rooms. It was time for Teddy to get a bath and go to bed, the nanny was getting ready to do it, but Fitz said he could do it and Olivia volunteered to help, she figured there was no time like the present to start getting involved.
"Are you sure? there is no rush sweetheart" Fitz knew she was still anxious about the whole parenting thing so he wanted to give her time to adjust, she got some experience with Jerry, but taking care of a toddler was a whole different thing.
"Yes Fitz I am sure, and you need help, I'm sure it hurts when you pick him up" She knew he was still in pain even though he tried to hide it, and hadn't talked about his doctor's appointment with her.
"I'm alright" he replied trying to sound confident.
"Don't lie to me, you still need to tell me all about your appointment with Dr. Akers" Fitz knew there was no way around that so he turned the topic back to Teddy.
"Lets just focus on the task at hand, it's past this boys bedtime already" he said before he reached to get Teddy from his high chair, but Olivia got up from the table too and intercepted him.
"I got this" She picked Teddy up and started walking ahead of Fitz, he just stared at her for a moment, Olivia was tickling the little boys belly and he let out a hearty laugh. The scene made his heart melt, he just couldn't wait to have more kids with her.
He got to the bathroom just after she did and they started preparing the bath, they worked well as a team as always. Being just a three year old, Teddy couldn't really understand what was happening, but he knew something was different and it made him happy, he was laughing and talking a lot more and he was getting used to the lady who was spending so much time around him recently. Jerry had also made a point of removing photos of Mellie from his room and replacing them with photos he had taken recently where Olivia was in; also sometimes he sat down with Teddy and told him all about her, he had been tempted to tell him she was going to be his mom, but he feared the kid might start calling her mom and freaking her out.
Olivia and Fitz went to their bedroom when they were done with Teddy, it had been a long day so they just changed their clothes and got ready for bed. Liv had been staying at her place recently so Fitz had been missing her terribly during the night, having her there with him at the moment made him feel like he had to make up for lost time.
When Olivia was finally in bed next to him he wrapped his arms around her, she adapted perfectly into his embrace and rested her head in his chest, they laid there in silence for a while just taking pleasure in being together, Fitz kissed the top of her head and held her a little tighter, he just wanted to be as close to her as humanly possible.
"I've missed you" he finally broke the silence
"I've missed you too" she answered honestly, she hadn't been able to sleep well being away from him, it was different from when they were apart in the past because now nothing was preventing them from being together, she was staying at her place by choice and she was regretting it. Maybe it was important for their image for them to live separately, but he had told her repeatedly that he didn't give a damn what people said, and also she worried for his health and lack of self control.
"I'm beginning to think staying at my place was not such a good idea" she said with a light chuckle
"You think?" he said with sarcasm which made them both laugh out loud.
Once the laughter subsided they were quiet again for a little while, being in each others embrace was pretty much all they needed at the moment.
"You know why I did it though"
"I truly have no idea" he said innocently
"You don't behave mister" she nudged him
Fitz made a face pretending to take offense in her words, then he adjusted himself so he could have better access. "I do not know what you are talking about" he said and kissed his way up from her neck to her mouth between each word and began getting his hands under her shirt.
"Fitz" she tried to stop him "What are you doing?"
"Nothing" he said before he started placing soft kisses on her neck again.
"Fitz" she said a bit louder and tried gently to push him away to no avail. "You still haven't told me what the Dr. Akers said to you"
Olivia managed to move away from him and sat straighter on the bed
"Liv come on" he pleaded, and gave her his signature sad puppy look, but she remained serious.
"I'm waiting" she crossed her arms "What did he say? I'm sure you ignored my suggestion and asked him about it"
Fitz sighed in defeat and sat up too.
"He said I have to wait like… 5 weeks" he murmured the last part, but she still heard it clear.
"Huh… so not today or tomorrow or even next week, which means you are not as well as you claim to be" she chastised him, it wasn't like she didn't want to make love to him again, she just wanted him to heal properly.
"I guess… he said it looks better on the outside sooner, but bullets can really do number on you so I should wait" he replied "He's right, I mean it does hurt a little when I move more than necessary… or breath, It's just, you know… we've waited for so long already"
"And we can wait little longer, we have all the time in the world" she gave him a broad smile and he couldn't resist smiling too, that simple admission meant everything to them. They no longer had to live on stolen moments and wondering when they could see each other again or what would come in their way, they were finally able to live their love to the fullest. Even if she insisted on being careful and planning to keep their image, they were finally free to be together forever.
Finally they laid back down and cuddled up, and fell asleep soon after exchanging I love you's and wishing each other a good night.
The following morning everyone was up reasonably early and Fitz decided they should make breakfast themselves, when he told Karen she laughed remembering the last time they cooked. Jerry looked at them with a puzzled expression not understanding what was so funny. Olivia got there with Teddy and put him securely on his chair.
"Whats going on?" She asked Jerry
"We are making breakfast ourselves, dad told the staff to leave" He answered still staring at his dad and sister, he didn't like feeling left out of a joke
"Oh, that should be fun, you should do the Jerry Grant special omelet" Olivia said remembering those times he cooked while they lived together. When Fitz noticed Liv he started walking towards her, and join the conversation.
"You invented a dish?" He asked his son
"Yes I did and it's quite awesome" Jerry declared confidently, and also he realized he couldn't be upset that his dad and Karen had made some good memories without him because he had the same with Liv. What he had to do was try to close the gap since they were all together.
"And you didn't burn anything down, was the kitchen still standing?"Karen teased her brother
"I was a bit scared he was going to burn himself the first time, but he did great" Liv answered for him.
"Thats more that can be said about us" Karen giggled at her dad's words.
"What did you guys do?" Jerry asked
"We had a food fight the last time we were here… and it was kinda dad's fault" Fitz made a face before speaking.
"That is so not true" he said feigning innocence
"It is" Karen said to Olivia who had a shocked expression on her face
"Ok fine, maybe it was my fault, but those were some hmm… difficult times and I figured we needed some fun even if the staff hated us afterwards" He still felt uncomfortable talking about the time they thought Jerry was dead.
"I know it's still kinda touchy, but everything is ok now and maybe we should fill each other in on what we all did and just get it out of the way" Jerry offered
"I guess you are right kid" Fitz told him.
"I suggest we talk as we cook, and try not to make such a big mess" Liv said, knowing they were all hungry.
"I agree with Liv, I'm famished" Karen said and gave her a small smile, it was a small gesture, but for Olivia it felt like they were finally getting somewhere.
They all had a great time cooking and sharing what they had done while they were separated; Jerry did make his specialty breakfast dish with the help of his sister and Fitz made all sorts of pancakes and waffles with Olivia. They ended up making so much of everything they decided to eat breakfast food all day. No big mess was made, but that didn't mean they had no fun so they did end up with syrup and batter on their clothes, they stayed on the kitchen for a while just hanging out; Jerry and Liv talked about binging on Modern Family and Karen and Fitz talked about binging on Friends.
As time passed, so did the awkwardness of talking about such a difficult time in their lives, and it made it easier to look forward becoming a family and all the good stuff about their future. Throughout the morning Fitz and Liv locked eyes sometimes and they couldn't help but smile at each other, seeing what how much their lives had changed for the better.
Olivia, Fitz and the kids spent most of Saturday afternoon outside, the weather had been getting warmer since the end of may so they played in the pool for a while. Fitz and Liv decided to start teaching Teddy how to swim and the older kids volunteered to help; at some point Karen and Jerry were just playing like little kids, they found pool toys they hadn't used in years. When they got too hungry to stay in the pool they went back inside to reheat their breakfast food.
After everyone got showered and Teddy was in bed Jerry suggested watching a movie, he thought it was a good idea for the four of them to hang out together. Fitz said he would take care of the popcorn and Jerry said he would dig in the pantry for sugary snacks. Liv was hoping to ask Karen to help her pick the movie, but she left for the kitchen right after her dad.
Jerry came out of the pantry with cookies, chocolates and gummy worms in his hands, and realized Karen had left Olivia alone. For a moment there he wondered if Liv had been right and Karen needed more time to adjust to her being there. He decided to talk to his sister later, he didn't want his dad to get upset or make a scene, and he went to help Liv pick the movie.
When Fitz got to the living room he put the bowls of popcorn of the coffee table and sat next to Olivia, Jerry was finishing setting up the movie, they had decided to watch The Avengers, Jerry had been insisting she had to watch it since they lived together, but they didn't get to do it before returning to DC. She wasn't so sure about superhero movies, but he got her to agree saying his sister would like it too.
"What are we watching?" Fitz asked with his mouth full of popcorn, he was carrying two large bowls, he placed one on the coffee table and then he sat next to Olivia on the couch.
"The Avengers, I'm not so sure about it, but Jerry vouched for it" she told him sounding skeptic.
"I've heard Marvel movies are great, but I've never had time to watch them" Fitz said.
"Well you guys are missing on something great and it's time I fix it" Jerry took the remote and decided to sit next to Fitz, thinking that way Karen would sit next to Liv, but when Karen walked in with yet another bowl of popcorn, she went to sit next to him.
Fitz didn't even notice, but Olivia did and she began to worry Karen might have a problem with her despite their earlier interactions. She decided to put that thought in the back of her mind and just enjoy the movie, they managed to eat all of the popcorn and most of the sweets, it was overall a good night. It turned out she did like the movie and she had some fun messing with Fitz talking about how good looking those heroes were.
"I gotta say, if you had told me before how fine those Avengers are, I would have agreed much sooner" She told Jerry.
"It's true I mean I do enjoy the story, but the cast is totally a plus" Karen added
"I didn't think of it, but now that you know, will you finally agree to Marvel marathons?" he asked her.
"Most definitely" Olivia told him
"Seriously? I'm right here" Fitz took the bait, and Jerry suppressed a giggle.
"I mean just look at them, they are really hot" She told him innocently.
"What do they have that I don't" Fitz asked her, and she tried not to laugh.
"Honey you are very handsome, but come on, they are superheroes, and Captain America, just wow, he's so patriotic and righteous, and those bright blue yes" his face was priceless, she was just trying so hard to keep a straight face.
"My eyes are blue, and I think I'm righteous enough, and I'm the damn president! it doesn't get more patriotic than that!" he exclaimed, the three of them just stared at him for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter.
"And you are just messing with me" he said realizing she didn't really mean any of it and even his kids had caught on it.
"You made it too easy" she said trying to catch her breath, Fitz just gave her an unamused look.
"Ok guys, before you find other ways to mess with me we should call it a night" He told them once the laughing subsided.
"Come on dad it's not even midnight" Jerry complained
"Yeah, but I barely ever get a good night's sleep when I'm working so if I get a chance to rest, I'll take it"
"I'm actually pretty tired kiddo" Olivia added "But you guys can stay up, I mean if your dad is ok with it"
"It's fine, we might be spoiling you guys a bit but if you want to stay up all night and get up at 3pm tomorrow you are free to do it" Fitz really didn't mind, and he knew they had gone through a lot and needed to just have fun and be normal teenagers. He also made a point to tell Liv that she had as much of a say as he did when it came to the kids, he knew she would never do anything that would cause them harm in any way, he knew he could completely trust her.
Fitz and Olivia left he kids in the living room and went straight to their bedroom to get ready for bed, they did their nighttime routine in silence, which wasn't out of the ordinary, but when she finally got in bed and Fitz just remained seated on his spot staring at his hands, she realized something was bothering him.
"Penny for your thoughts" she said and nudged his arm gently.
"Nothing, just tired" He replied absentmindedly
"Yeah, right… Look honey I'm not gonna drop it so just tell me please" he was still looking down at his hands so she got closer to him and caressed his cheek with her hand and made him turn to look at her.
"What is it?" she insisted
"It's nothing, I mean it's just… it's stupid, I'm sorry I made you worry, it's nothing" his gaze seemed softer, and he smiled at her and pecked her lips, but she knew him too well and decided not to drop it.
"Come on Fitz, what happened to let's tell each other everything, it doesn't matter what it is, or that you think it's not important" she grabbed his face to make him look her in the eyes "I want to know everything that goes through that pretty head of yours" Fitz chuckled softly, she let go of his face and he inhaled deeply before he began talking.
"I just… I kept thinking about, what you said earlier about those actors and their looks, and got a little self conscious that's all" he felt embarrassed saying it out loud, he knew it made no sense, but for a moment there he felt like she could do much better than him. Olivia was shocked to say the least, she didn't even know where to begin, she couldn't believe he actually thought that.
"Fitz.. How can I explain this… I mean… You know I didn't mean any of that, we were just messing with you, I didn't think it bother you so much, why would you even…" The was so much she wanted to say, she couldn't even finish her sentences.
"I know, I know, I told you it was stupid…" he tried to shrug it off
"I don't think it's stupid, I'm just concerned… why did you feel self conscious, have I said something before" Fitz began feeling guilty for messing with her head and felt even worse for entertaining such thoughts.
"It's nothing you did Liv, I swear, it's just my head… I just feel like you are too good for me, and I'm quite older than you, divorced, with three kids, my life is a hot mess… and I don't know I just thought you are too good for anyone, but freaking Captain America seemed to be a bit closer to deserving you than I am"
"Sweetheart that's just… you know there's no one in this galaxy I'd rather be with than you" She tried to sound as convincing as she could and she grabbed his face again to make him look at her.
"I know, I know" he did know, but he couldn't deny he had a hard time understanding why.
"No seriously, I need to know you believe that, I need you to understand that for me there's no better man than you… Baby I just wish you could see yourself through my eyes" Olivia caressed his face lovingly and brought him closer to her, their faces almost touching. "Fitz I love you so much, and I could never be happy with anyone else"
"I've always known you come as a package deal, and I love your children as much as I love you, and let's not forget I have been an active part of the hot mess for a while, neither of us is perfect Fitz, but we do bring out the best in each other and not everyone is lucky enough to have that"
There was a turmoil of emotions going through Fitz, he felt bad for upsetting her, and guilty for even implying that his kids were some sort of a burden to her, after all she did for Jerry. He had let his insecurities get the best of him, and start dwelling on past mistakes. Both of them had done things they regretted, but it didn't matter anymore, all the good and the bad had led them to where they were now. He was well aware there were still many things to figure out, and they couldn't really erase the past, and things would still come up, but being together they could overcome anything.
"How can I not feel that you are to good enough for me when you say those things" He said with a light chuckle. He gently grabbed her hands from his face and kissed her palms "I swear Liv, I will spend the rest of my life trying my hardest to be the man you deserve"
"I know" she replied with a smile, and unable to resist anymore he leaned in for a kiss.
The rest of the weekend went by without a hitch, Jerry decided to wait until they were home to talk to Karen about Liv, to avoid causing trouble in their small vacation. Everyone was relaxed and happy when they returned to the White House even Cyrus. They were going to have a very interesting week, Fitz' interview with his older kids was due on Monday, and later that week they were told Tom would probably be able to leave the hospital.
Tom's injuries had been very severe and he had spent a while in the ICU, for some time they weren't even sure he was going to make it. The whole issue with Tom brought back things they were all trying to forget, but it also made them aware they still had a few loose ends concerning the fall of command and his organization. Fitz knew he had to make a decision on Tom's future once he was cleared by the doctors, and he knew despite Rowans mistakes and wrongdoings, B613 served a purpose, and he had to make sure said purpose would still be taken care of, he wanted to keep his nation safe but he certainly didn't want history to repeat itself. He had to think very carefully of his next step.
However, everything about national security was to be kept confidential, even from other parts of the government, so officially it was all about the new status of his family and preparing the nation for Olivia. He wanted to get the ball rolling asap, he was itching to tell the entire world how happy she made him. Also Fitz couldn't wait to have her move into the White House, he was already looking at rings with Jerry, and thinking about plans for the wedding. He hadn't said anything to her, because he knew she wanted to do things the way she considered right for the sake of pubic image, but he would make sure to speed things up once the word got out.
Liv agreed to stay at the White House Sunday night, so Fitz woke up in a really good mood Monday morning, he left for work quite early and Olivia said she would have breakfast with Jerry and see if the older kids were willing to get a little early. She was planning to go get Jerry after Teddy woke up, but Jerry beat her to it, he went to find her around 8:30 already holding his baby brother in his arms. He dropped Teddy off and said he was going to get Karen.
"Hey sis" he said as he gently shook her.
"What time is it?" she groaned in response
"It's a bit early but you know, Teddy is an early riser, and Liv has to go to work so I figured maybe we could all have breakfast together, we can just go back to sleep until lunch" He explained to her. Karen stayed quiet for a moment, he could see she was struggling to make a decision.
"I don't know Jer, I'm really sleepy" He eyed her suspiciously, and thought about asking if it had to do anything with Liv.
"Hey Karen… hmm, I've been meaning to ask you something, I didn't mean to ambush you when you are still half asleep, but I guess I might as well"
"Just spit it out" she interrupted him
"Do you have a problem with dad and Liv being together? I mean it's just that you seem to avoid her a lot, and she's actually a bit worried, she asked me not to say anything to you but I felt like I had to" he finally asked her.
"No… I don't, I think it's good that dad is happy and she seems great, I mean she seems to like us more than mom… it's just I don't know, you seem to have a great relationship with her, but what if we don't get along so great, I mean if my own mother didn't like me then… I don't know" Karen looked defeated, and Jerry finally understood.
"Karen, she's not like that, she wants us to be like a real family and all, and you are forgetting a very important detail here. We didn't just hit it out of the park right away, like it was actually pretty bad, because… well… Remember I told you I had to get sick and I knew nothing, and she explained and helped me and all?" Karen nodded
"Well I left out few details because I didn't think it was important, but at first it was actually pretty bad, I didn't know what was going on, do you think I reacted well after I was off the sedatives?"
"I guess not… so what happened?" She asked full of curiosity
"I flipped Karen, badly, she had to put me to sleep again because she freaked out, then she let me wake up again and waited patiently for me to stop screaming, I was actually tied down and I had to stay that way an extra night just in case I woke up and didn't remember right away." Karen seemed surprise upon hearing his brother and Liv had such a sough start.
"But you guys are like, so close" She told him
"Yeah, Rome wasn't built in a day, I had to come to terms with what she told me and just trust her, I was unsure at first, but she's great and things got better, and we spent all of our time together for weeks, it was inevitable not to become close" Jerry made his case and Karen seemed to be considering it.
"Just give her a shot, we are going to be a family officially, sooner rather than later, and I just know she is going to be everything we ever wanted from our mother" Jerry spoke confidently and it eased Karens worries.
"Ok, you are probably right, but don't tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it, now lets get moving she's probably waiting" Karen finally smiled and she felt like maybe things would get better for her too.
AN2: The interview is up next, I promise I will try my best to finish it soon.
